Combination Robot B/O 17-in-1

Review by The Enthusiast

Super Combination Robot

There’s no getting around it: This robot is grotesque. But it’s not without charm. This is Frankenstein bootleg maximalism at its most psychedelic. Metal plating and questionable aesthetic choices abound. The Super Combination Robot B/O 17-in-1 (hereafter abbreviated SCR) combines parts from the DX Popy Dairugger XV, the DX Popy Golion, G1 Omega Supreme (or the Toybox Mechabot-1, if you prefer), as well as “original” elements (though it’s possible that I just don’t recognize all of the pieces) to knit them together. This toy is impressive in its audacity.

The packaging (measuring 15”x22”x4”) is faux-Popy DX gone disco. The top/lid features a photograph of the toy with bizarre lighting effects and clumsy typography. There’s a handle, and beneath the box -top the contents are framed with a Popy-style window cover, though the text is upside-down. The sides of the box feature photos of different configurations.

The combined robot is overwhelming. It stands at 13”, taller than most other Popy DX gattai, though shorter than Dairugger. One has no idea where to look: the shapes and colors all fight for dominance, and the scales of individual pieces are too similar. With its prismatic decals, chrome and gold plating, and multiple clashing colors, it’s exhausting to look at. By any standard apart from whimsy, this is just bad design.

The combined SCR uses the heads of both Omega Supreme and Dairugger (interchangeably), the heavily modified torso of Omega Supreme, the arms of Dairugger, the legs of Golion, and the modified upper legs of Dairugger as clips. Parts from, I’m guessing, a non-mecha based cheapo airplane toy have been grafted onto Omega’s chest. Boots of a new sculpt encase the lions. SCR wears an OS backpack, outfitted with a bubble and piston gimmick and rubber hoses. The set comes with Golion’s shield and sword.

Everything is lightweight ABS plastic, but respectable in fit and finish by bootleg standards, with the exception of the yellow lion’s head, which is poorly constructed.

The only limb articulation is in the shoulders, elbows, and neck. The shoulder rotors spin freely. The pistons in the backpack move up and down when activated. The tank is motorized, with two sets of articulated wings. The Dairugger components all roll on rubber wheels.

Head(s)
Omega’s head is the default head (at least based on the box art). The mold is the same as the original, but the gray plastic is now black, and the red turret is now gold-plated. The alternate Dairugger head actually looks pretty neat, having been cast in blue and nicely finished with a gold and silver paint scheme on its face. Unfortunately, the Dairugger head looks silly on the robot because of its ungainly neck, concealed in the original toy.

Torso
Omega Supreme’s tank forms the torso. As in the head, the original gray plastics are black, the red pieces gold-plated. The leg trim is red instead of yellow. The mechanics have been slightly altered to activate the backpack. The fuselage and wings of a jet have been integrated into the top of the tank. The arm joints have been totally reworked to accept the new shoulders.

Arms
SCR’s arms are straight from Dairugger, but simplified. The shoulders have different, smaller rotors, the paint apps have been eliminated and partially replaced by decals, and the pull-back motors have been removed. The fists each use the mold from the original red Dairugger fist, and have retained their rocket-punch mechanism.

Legs
The lions themselves are Frankensteins of Golion parts. Both use the head of the blue lion and the body of the yellow. The rear leg-lock mechanism has been reworked to attach and detach the lions onto OS’s extended treads via a button on the lions’ bellies. The back missile gimmick raises and lowers, but does not fire. The lion’s mouths are slack. Their tails are installed upside-down.

The “boots” surrounding the lions are an interesting innovation for the SCR, and of an entirely new sculpt. Once the lions clip onto the tread stumps, the boots surround them, giving a better weight and scale to the legs. The boot shells clip together ala OS, but using a combination of (2)OS clips, (2)modified Dairugger ships, and (2)unique trapezoidal clips. The Dairugger clips are modified versions of the original XV red thigh ship, but with without the splitting feature and with a clip molded onto the underside. The unique clips on the front of the boots cannot attach as shown on the box, their clip interface is upside-down. I actually like the look of SCR from the waist down.

Back Pack
I have no idea where the bubble-piston comes from. The top of the bubble appears to have been painted by hand! The candy-colored pistons within move 1/4” up and down. The lower part of the backpack, here molded in white and black, is very close to Omega’s, but has been reworked to bee a static block rather than the original clamshell.

Summary
This toy is probably only appealing to most collectors as an oddity. I enjoy strange and ugly robots and use them to liven up my shelves, but for most, getting past its ugliness will be a real challenge. The SCR isn’t especially rare or desirable, so you can probably find one in its box for fifty bucks.